While sixteen lucky were preparing to witness the winter solstice from inside ... carried a torch through the night to Newgrange, where they welcomed the sunrise to a chorus of drumbeats.

In the northern hemisphere, the winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22, when the sun shines directly over the tropic of Capricorn. At sunrise, direct sunlight can enter the Newgrange monument ...

Ceremonies have been held across the UK and Ireland to mark the winter ... in Newgrange, Co Meath, which is thought to be more than 5,000 years old drew a number of people keen to mark the solstice.